ATM report--Dave Martinez is out for the season, maybe forever

[nyy26wc]

1) Braves OF Dave Martinez will miss the entire 2002 season, due to knee surgery, and the injury could be career ending.

Martinez hit .384 SLG, .347 OBA, .731 OPS, -7 RCAA, .399 OWP, 4.30 RC/G, 29 RC in 120 games in 2001. It was the 4th consecutive time he had a negative RCAA and the 10th time he did it in his 16 year career. Martinez has a .730 career OPS, compared to his league average of .752 and positional average of .781, -13 RCAA and -72 RCAP in 1919 games.

2) czar bud has given Twins owner Carl Pohlad permission to sell the team in a manner consistent with MLB policies.

That could mean Pohlad is free to sell to a czar bud crony at a price under the highest bid.

3) Expos SS Orlando Cabrera lost his salary arbitration case. He'll make $2.4 million, rather than the $3.1 million he was seeking.

Cabrera hit .428 SLG, .324 OBA, .752 OPS, -17 RCAA, .420 OWP, 4.78 RC/G, 86 RC in 162 games. It's not a good sign when -17 RCAA is a player's best figure in his 3 years as a starter. Cabrera has a .715 career OPS, compared to his league average of .782 and SS average of .719, -73 RCAA and -10 RCAP in 486 games.

4) The Expos re-signed P Carl Pavano to a 1 year, $1.3125 million contract, avoiding salary arbitration.

After a 17 RSAA season in 2000, Pavano fell to a 6.33 ERA and -8 RSAA in 8 starts in 2001. His good 2000 performance was the only time in his 4 year career that he had a positive RSAA. Pavano has a 4.54 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.60, and -7 RSAA in 66 games.

5) The Tigers re-signed utilityman Jose Macias to a 2 year, $1.2 million contract.

Macias hit .391 SLG, .316 OBA, 707 OPS, -8 RCAA, .436 OWP, 4.46 RC/G, 63 RC in 137 games in 2001. He has a .707 career OPS, compared to his league average of .778 and positional average of .764, -13 RCAA and -2 RCAP in 215 games.

6) Redsox P Rolando Arrojo lost his salary arbitration case. He'll make $1.9 million, rather than the $2.8 million he was seeking.

Arrojo had a 3.48 ERA and 12 RSAA in 41 games (9 starts) in 2001. He has a 4.50 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.59, and 36 RSAA in 129 games.

7) Royals SS Neifi Perez admits he's 28, not 26.

8) The Cardinals reached a deal with St. Louis that would give the city up to 15% of the profits from a sale of the team, if they receive public funding for a new stadium.

According to the AP article, "the agreement defines profits from a sale, in part or as a whole, as the sale price minus the team's current value, stipulated at $180 million, any future cash or property investment made in the team and taxes paid on the sale."

Based on that quote, it might not be too difficult to find the loophole that lets the Cardinals write a check in the amount of nothing. It looks to me like all the Cardinals will have to do is claim player salaries are "cash investments in the team", subtract that from the sale price and walk away without paying the city a cent.

Could it be that easy? Maybe, maybe not. But, in light of a long history of federal, state and local governments getting screwed, if that doesn't turn out to be the actual loophole that's used, then expect something else to be.

9) Mariners minor league P Jeff Heaverlo has a tear in his shoulder and is expected to miss the entire season.

Heaverlo, 24, was the Mariners's 1st round pick in 1999. He had a 3.12 ERA in AA in 2001 and has a 3.59 career ERA in 3 minor league season. Heaverlo was given a B+ grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook, which ranks him as the 26th best prospect in baseball and John Sickels says, "If Heaverlo says healthy, I think he will be a solid No. 2 starter."

He's the son of former major leaguer Dave Heaverlo, who had a 3.41 ERA, compared to his league average of 3.79, and 27 RSAA in 356 games with the Giants, A's and Mariners, from 1975-81.

10) A's MGR Art Howe says Frank Menechino is the favorite to retain the 2B job, over Randy Velarde.

Menechino hit .374 SLG, .369 OBA, .742 OPS, 1 RCAA, .505 OWP, 4.95 RC/G, 70 RC in 139 games in 2001, his only year as a starter.

Velarde hit .424 SLG, .356 OBA, .780 OPS, 3 RCAA, .532 OWP, 5.46 RC/G, 53 RC in 93 games in 2001--78 with the Rangers and 15 with the Yankees. It was the 7th time in the past 9 years that Velarde had a positive RCAA and he has a .764 career OPS, compared to his league average of .761 and positional average of .726, 13 RCAA and 64 RCAP in 1217 games.

11) Whitesox MGR Jerry Manuel says he's made up his Opening Day lineup: CF--Kenny Lofton, 2B--Ray Durham, DH--Frank Thomas, RF--Magglio Ordonez, 1B--Paul Konerko, 3B--Jose Valentin, LF--Carlos Lee, C--Sandy Alomar Jr., SS--Royce Clayton, with Mark Buehrle on the mound.

12) The Dodgers re-signed utilityman Hiram Bocachica to 1 year, $220,000 contract. He's out of options and is considered a longshot to make the team.

Bocachica hit .376 SLG, .287 OBA, .663 OPS, -3 RCAA, .406 OWP, 3.89 RC/G, 15 RC in 75 games as a 25 year old rookie in 2001.

13) The Redsox signed 3B Andy Morales to a minor league contract.

Morales was a Cuban defector who lied about his age and then the Yankees used that as their excuse to void his contract when he was lousy in about half a season in the minors.

Correction from yesterday--Phillies RF Bobby Abreu's new contract was for $64 million, not $60 million.

[Duque]

Doesn't it seems like a lot of Mariners pitchers are getting injured of late? Meche, Anderson, now Heaverlo - something with their pitching coach?

Btw, while Bocachica may not be a great hitter - it is always fun to listen to Vin Scully say: "Now battting, Hiram Bocachica."

[Xanadu Dragon]

Dunno - the M's have developed several star pitchers - - it's just that they usually end up starring for other teams.

[gyb13]

Originally posted by Duque
Doesn't it seems like a lot of Mariners pitchers are getting injured of late? Meche, Anderson, now Heaverlo - something with their pitching coach?

They had different pitching coaches (Meche got injured in the majors)...the interesting thing to note is that they all had the SAME injury.

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by nyy26wc

7) Royals SS Neifi Perez admits he's 28, not 26.

Does this mean that the Royal's trade for Neifi looks even worse? I didn't think it was possible to be an even worse trade for the Royals.

[KCBOOMER]

2) Pohlad won't get near the money this way as he would have under the sweetheart contraction terms.
7) Yes, the Neifi deal looks even worse for the Royals. And we have to pay the dog $4.1M to be a back up if the kid Berroa can play.

[RichG]

Originally posted by WiredTiger


Does this mean that the Royal's trade for Neifi looks even worse? I didn't think it was possible to be an even worse trade for the Royals.

Nah, it's better for the Royals. Maybe he'll retire two years earlier.